How do you keep your kids warm in winter but still maintain sustainable values and save money, too? Our first MamaMötet of 2020 was sponsored by Hyber Sverige with guests from Reima Scandinavia. We spoke about the need for a sustainable and economical way to outfit our kids properly for the Swedish weather. The event was a big success and we cannot wait to welcome back Hyber and Reima for another night of fun and learning! Keep reading for tips on outfitting your kids and the impact we can have when we take small steps to shift towards sustainable clothing consumption for the whole family. If you make it to the end, there’s an Easter Egg 🙂

First, a bit on Hyber and the sustainable impact renting clothes can have and why we at Littlebearabroad wanted to partner with Hyber.

Hyber Sverige is a new and fast growing kids outdoor clothing rental company here in Sweden. We were so lucky to have Reima Scandinavia, one of Hyber’s partners, join us for the evening to talk about their products and how to dress your kids for the Scandinavian weather. As parents and as people who are becoming increasingly aware of our environmental footprints, we wanted to help international families find their small steps towards more economical and sustainable consumption habits. All while remaining uncompromising on the quality of products for their kids. Enter Hyber Sverige. Their “Rent, Use, Repair” model is based on the understanding that kids grow at a tremendous rate and keeping them outfitted with the best quality outdoor gear can be a major task and have a deep (negative) impact on our bank accounts.

Hyber is a subscription style service that allows you to pay a monthly fee for renting seasonally appropriate outdoor clothing for your kids. You can size up during the life of your subscription for no additional cost. BRILLIANT! I don’t have to spend hours searching the mall for the next size up or figure out what layers are best!? SIGN. ME. UP!

Why you should use a sustainable clothing rental services:

Not sold yet? Hyber presented the following fashion industry facts to us during the night. They show just how important a rental and reuse program is.

  • In Sweden alone, we purchase 13 kilos of clothing every year.
  • We throw away 8 kilos of clothing per person per year.
  • And, while the second hand market is steadily growing, it is still only 1% of the overall fashion market!

Something to think about:

If we prolonged the life of 1 item of clothing by 2 times, we can reduce its environmental impact by 49%.*

When it comes to our kids, I get it, we are far less willing to compromise on quality and durability then we are for ourselves. But think about it this way, what else are we teaching them? Can we find a way to be uncompromising and help teach our children sustainable consumption habits by being mindful of how we are shopping? It’s certainly something that has me thinking, especially when it comes to the “short use, long life cycle” items like kids outdoor clothing.

TOP TIPS for outfitting your child(ren) for the Scandinavian weather:

These top tips are coming from the kids outdoor gear experts at Reima Scandinavia, the Finnish children’s brand who co-hosted the recent Hyber x MamaMötet event. (Thanks for coming out Louise and Ann-Marie!)

  • The less it’s washed the better! Use the shower to rinse off dirt, sand, and other debris from your outdoor gear. This helps the fabric remain insulating, breathable, and water-repellent. It’s not about a treatment on-top of the fabric, it’s about the way the material is made and how over washing and using detergents can break down the fibers and affect the materials ability to do what it was made to do, i.e. protect from the elements!
  • In Sweden, wool is used for a reason. It is the best material for breathability and taking moisture away from the body to keep if warm and dry. It’s used as a base layer for the extra cold days. Also, know how to care for your wool! Wool doesn’t have to be washed a lot. It breathes and can be hung up after wear to dry out and remove any and all odors.  
  • Top tip for socks, only wear ONE PAIR. Layering affects wools ability to keep feet warm and dry. If you need extra choose thicker wool socks instead.
  • Buy kids outdoor clothing to grow OUT OF not to grow INTO. When investing in kids’ outdoor gear we are tempted to get something kids can wear for a long time because of the cost of the garments. However, doing so can leave your kid cold, and mean you have to spend more to get more clothing. Measure how tall your kid is and buy the size that fits NOW. This will mean that with the correct layers, depending on the weather, your kid will remain warm because there won’t be extra space between their body and the outerwear.
  • Warmth rating is important, but knowing your kid’s body is more important. Does your kid run warm, or are they typically always cold? It’s harder to know this with really young ones, but as the parent, you know your kid best and should use this knowledge when buying winter gear and deciding on how to layer your child’s clothing.

* presented from Hyber during their MM event. Find out more by visiting https://www.circle-economy.com/


UPDATE!! Hyber is giving the Littlebearabroad community 2 months FREE on their new Reima packages! Head to www.hyber.com and sign-up to receive your choice of Reima gear package and use the code “LBA” at check out to receive the discount* *discount takes out the cost of 2 months out of 12 months total. i.e you pay a reduced monthly cost which equals the cost of 10 months for a 12 month period.